Addressing-machine.



T. E. PLATER. `ADDRESSING MACHINE. i APPLICATION FILED SEPT 3 1908 Patented "099. 19, 1909.

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A 77'0HNEYS T. E. PLA'IBR.

ADDRESSING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1908.

Patented oct. 19,1909.

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W/TNESSES ATTORNEYS l mnisw. 5, nimma om. worauuoaumsns, wAswnGmn. o, e.

THOMAS EARL PLI-BETER, 0F MONETT, MISSOURI.

ADDRESSINGr-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

Application filed. September 3, 1908. Serial No. 451,470.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that LTHOMAS EARL PLATER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Monett, in the county of Barry and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Addressing-Machine, of which .the

following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

My invention relates to addressing machines, such, for instance, as are employed in addressing newspapers, books, pamphlets dresses, and I also seek to provide means for moistening the strip immediately before it is cut, the strip being provided with a gummed surface to cause the portions severed to adhere to the articles to be addressed.

My invention further relates to various adjustments to be used in connection with addressing machines, for the purpose of increasing the adaptability of such machines, and rendering their work more satisfactory.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an addressing machine provided with my various improvements; Fig. 2 is a substantially vertical section through the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 and taken in the general-direction of the length of the device; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the addressing machine; Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section upon the line '4 4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow, and showing particularly the water receptacle for moistening the gummed strip and also showing the inlet for admitting air into the water receptacle as the liquid is gradually used up; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section upon the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking inthe direction of the arrow, and showing a portion of the water receptacle and also the means for guiding the strip as the same is gradually moved along during the use of the machine; Fig. 6 is a section upon the line 66 of Fig. 2, and showing the connection from the water receptacle to the moistening trough; and Fig. 7 is a section upon the line 7-7 of Fig. 2, and showing the moistening trough containing an absorbent stone for applying moisture to the gummed surface of the strip, this view further showing one of the guide rollers for directing the strip toward the moistening trough.

A casing 8 is provided with a roller 9, which serves substantially the purpose of a spool. Vound upon this roller is a strip 10 of paper, upon which the addresses are printed. This strip is gummed upon its under face, that is, the face nearest the center of the roller 9.

At 11 is a water receptacle having substantially the general form of a wedge, and extending entirely across the casing 8. The water receptacle is provided with a screw cap 12, whereby it is kept normally closed. It may be filled by taking off this screw cap, which is then replaced.

Extending outwardly from the casing 8 and communicating with the water receptacle 11 is an air tube 13, the outer end of which is threaded and fitted with a screw cap 14. This screw cap is provided with an aperture 15 which mates a similar aperture in the tube 13, these two openings together constituting an air hole, as will be understood from Fig. 4.

The water receptacle 11 is filled with water 16. A U-tube 17 is connected at 18 with the water receptacle 11, and at 19 with a moistening trough V2O. Mounted within this moistening trough is an absorbent stone 21,

preferably a tripoli stone, provided with a coating 22 of shellac or other non-absorbent material, which holds the stone 21 in place and insures a water-tight joint between the stone and the trough. The water passes from the water receptacle 11 through the tube 17, and into the bottom of the trough 20. The capillarity of the stone 21 enables the upper surface of the stone to remain at all times moist.

A knife 23, stationary in relation to the casing, is provided at one end of the casing and disposed immediately adjacent to the trough 20. Two guides 24 of arcuate form are mounted rigidly upon opposite sides of the casing, these guides being adjacent to the ends of the knife 23. The guides 24 terminate at their tops in hooks 25, the latter being bent outwardly, as indicated in Fig. 3. A knife bar 26 is made of spring -metal and is connected rigidly with rocking journals 27 upon the casing 8. Encircling these rocking journals and engaging the casing 8 are springs 23 made of resilient wire. Each of these springs is provided with a hook 29 which engages a portion of the knife bar 26. Normally the pressure f the springs 28 against the under side of the knife bar 26 causes theouter or free end of this bar to engage the hooks 25, pressing upwardly against the under side thereof. Vhen, however, the casing is depressed the w tension of the springs 2 8 is increased and the outer or free ends of the knife bar 26 are moved quickly downward, according to the view shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The U- shaped knife bar 26 is provided at its outer ends with threaded portions 30, which are engaged by removable nuts 31. A knife 32 engages these nuts and is thus supported upon the knife bar. A leaf spring` 33 having generally an arcuate form is mounted y adjacent tothe knife 32, the central portion of the spring touching the central portion of the knife. Nuts 34 are mounted upon the threaded portions 30 of the knife bar 26. By turning the nuts 34 the tension of the spring 33 against the knife 32 is adjusted. The knife thus has conferred upon it a tension which is controllable at will. Moreover, by turning the nuts 31, the general position of the knife 32 may be changed slightly in relation to the position of the knife 23. This point is of considerable advantage in cutting the strip. At 10a in Fig. 2 is shown a projecting portion of the strip l0; the descent of the knife 32 severs this 35 portion.

A grid 35 is mounted upon a U-spring 36, the latter being journaled at 37 upon the casing. The grid 35 normally covers the stone 21 and serves as a guide for the strip 10. The grid 35 may be raised at will, but normally it is pressed downward in close proximity to the strip 10. Mounted upon the U-spring 36 is a threaded stem 38, and engaging this threaded stem is a threaded collar 39. A spring 40 is connected with the collar 39 and with the casing S. By adjusting the threaded collar 39 relatively to the stem 38, the tension of the spring 40 may be regulated, and consequently the grid 35 upon the strip 10 may be controlled as desired.

A roller 41, serving to some extent as a handle, is mounted upon a revoluble shaft 42. This shaft carries a pulley 43, which is con- 55 nected by a belt 44 with another pulley 45.

The pulley 45 has a roller 46 which engages the strip 10. A roller 47 is disposed immediately over the roller 46, and is mounted upon a shaft 48. vOne end of this shaft see Fig. 1) works in a slot 48a, thus enabling .the roller 47 to be readily removed whenever desired. Another rol-ler 49, smaller than the roller 47 engages the latter, as will be understood from Fig. 2. The roller 49 is mounted V.upon a U-spring 49a. Stop pins 50 mounted upon the casing 8 are engaged by the U-spring 49a and serve to prevent the roller 49 from moving upwardly except when pressed upon from below with suiicient energy to bend the U-spring 49a. A guide 70 leaf 51 is provided with edges 52 bent upwardly and toward each other. The strip 10 travels along the upper surface of the guide leaf 51 and is disposed intermediate the upturned edges 52 of the same. A hand 75 crank 53 connected rigidly with the roller 9 enables the latter to be turned at will.

The operation of my device is as follows: The addressing machine being in its normal position, as indicated in Fig. 1, and the water receptacle 11 being filled or partially filled with water, the device is ready for use. The knife 32 is now in its uppermost position. The operator places the casing in such position that the portion 10a of the strip l0 prog5 jects immediately over the newspaper or other article to be addressed. The under face of the strip 10 is slightly moistened owing to its travel over the stone 21. The opera-tor now grasps the casing 8 and depresses 90 its rear portion, that is, the portion to the right, according to Figs. 1 and 2. The downward pressure upon the casing causes the springs 2S to bend slightly and the knife 32 is driven downward by a quick, sharply defined stroke, so that the portion 10a of the strip 10 is severed by the shearing action of the knife 32 relatively to the knife 23. The under surface of the knife 32 being perfectly flat serves now as a platen and forces the portion 10a (now severed) into engagement with the article to be addressed. The strip adheres to the surface in question because, as elsewhere explained, its lower surface is adhesive. The pressure upon the cas 105 ing being relaxed, the tension of the springs 28 restores the knife bar 26 and the knife 32 to their respective normal positions, as indicated in Fig. 1. The operator next grasps the roller 41 and turns it slightly. In doing 110 this motion is transmitted through the pulley 43, belt 44, pulley 45 and roller 46 to the strip 10, and causes this strip to be fed forward a little, the strip passing over the moistened stone 21 being rendered adhesive, 115 and when the casino is again depressed another portion l()a of the strip 10 is severed and caused to adhere to the articles to be addressed. The operation described may be repeated until all of the strip 10 is used up. 120 As the moisture from the surface of the stone 21 is gradually used, the stone continuously recuperates its moisture. This is done by the moisture passi-ng through the tube 17 from the water tank 11 to the trough 20, as 125 above described. If at any time the stone 21 .becomes broken, clogged or otherwise disabled, it may be removed and a new stone may take its place. The handle 53 is used merely for charging Athe machine with the strip 10, that is to say, the operator turns the handle 53 in winding the strip 10 upon the roller 9. The unwinding of the strip is practically automatic, being accomplished by the rollers 46, 47 as the casing is pressed downwardly from time to time by the operator. As the water 16 is gradually used and becomes lower in the tank 11, air is admitted through the air hole 15 by simply turning the cap 14. The operator by thus regulating the admission of air may control the freedom with which the water makes its escape through the U-tube 17 and into the trough 20. The degree of moisture applied to the adhesive strip 10 may therefore be regulated at will.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: c

1. In an addressing machine, the combination of a casing, a porous stone mounted therein for supplying moisture, feeding mechanism for feeding across said porous stone a mailing strip, means co-acting with said porous stone and with saidV feeding mechanism for cutting said mailing strip, and mechanism for aixing, to a transient article, the portion of said mailing strip thus severed.

2. In an addressing machine, the combination of a casing, a knife connected rigidly therewith, another knife' connected with said casing and movable relatively to said lirstmentioned knife, said second-mentioned knife being provided with a surface serving as a platen, a leaf spring engaging said second-mentioned knife, said leaf spring having the form of a longitudinal strip bent slightly at its middle portion, and means for forcing the ends of said leaf spring toward said second-mentioned knife.

8. rIhe combination of a casing, a water receptacle carried thereby, a trough, a connection from said water receptacle to said trough for the purpose of Vsupplying said A trough with water, an absorbent stone mounted within said trough and provided with a flat surface, means for feeding a mailing strip across said absorbent stone, cutting mechanism for severing said mailing strip after passing across said stone, and means for affixing, to a transient article, the portion of said mailing strip thus severed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS EARL PLATER.

Witnesses:

D. S. BRUCE, GEORGE PARRI'SH. 

